Read Joel 3
The Nations Judged
3 “In those days and at that time,
when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,
2 I will gather all nations
and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.
There I will put them on trial
for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel,
because they scattered my people among the nations
and divided up my land.
3 They cast lots for my people
and traded boys for prostitutes;
they sold girls for wine to drink.
4 “Now what have you against me, Tyre and Sidon and all you regions of Philistia? Are you repaying me for something I have done? If you are paying me back, I will swiftly and speedily return on your own heads what you have done. 5 For you took my silver and my gold and carried off my finest treasures to your temples. 6 You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, that you might send them far from their homeland.
7 “See, I am going to rouse them out of the places to which you sold them,and I will return on your own heads what you have done. 8 I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, a nation far away.” The Lord has spoken.
9 Proclaim this among the nations:
Prepare for war!
Rouse the warriors!
Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.
10 Beat your plowshares into swords
and your pruning hooks into spears.
Let the weakling say,
“I am strong!”
11 Come quickly, all you nations from every side,
and assemble there.
Bring down your warriors, Lord!
12 “Let the nations be roused;
let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat,
for there I will sit
to judge all the nations on every side.
13 Swing the sickle,
for the harvest is ripe.
Come, trample the grapes,
for the winepress is full
and the vats overflow—
so great is their wickedness!”
14 Multitudes, multitudes
in the valley of decision!
For the day of the Lord is near
in the valley of decision.
15 The sun and moon will be darkened,
and the stars no longer shine.
16 The Lord will roar from Zion
and thunder from Jerusalem;
the earth and the heavens will tremble.
But the Lord will be a refuge for his people,
a stronghold for the people of Israel.
Blessings for God’s People
17 “Then you will know that I, the Lord your God,
dwell in Zion, my holy hill.
Jerusalem will be holy;
never again will foreigners invade her.
18 “In that day the mountains will drip new wine,
and the hills will flow with milk;
all the ravines of Judah will run with water.
A fountain will flow out of the Lord’s house
and will water the valley of acacias.
19 But Egypt will be desolate,
Edom a desert waste,
because of violence done to the people of Judah,
in whose land they shed innocent blood.
20 Judah will be inhabited forever
and Jerusalem through all generations.
21 Shall I leave their innocent blood unavenged?
No, I will not.”
The Lord dwells in Zion!
Go Deeper
Each chapter in the amazing book of Joel has references to “the Day of the Lord.” Charlies Ryrie, a well-known Bible scholar and teacher, defines this day as God’s special intervention in the affairs of human history. God had three ways He intervened in the Old Testament:
- God’s obvious intervention in the affairs of Israel and its effects on their enemies
- Partial fulfillment of prophecies
- Full prophecies of the second coming of Christ and the promises to believers in that time
The stories of Abraham, Moses, and Joseph are full of interventions of God’s grace and mercy to His chosen people. For example, providing the promised son Isaac to Abraham and Sarah in their 90s. Moses led Israel out of Egyptian captivity with God holding back the Red Sea and then destroying the powerful Egyptian army with that same sea. Joseph survived his own brother’s betrayal to become second in command in Egypt with God’s purpose to save His people.
Through these stories and others, we must think about our own stories of God’s intervention in our lives to redeem us, move us, fill us, grow us, and glorify Himself to an unbelieving world. We serve a living God who is with us every moment. Joel’s name means “Yahweh is God” which puts the emphasis upon us, through Joel, that we serve the King of Kings who loves, redeems, and restores us today as well as into eternity. What a mighty God we serve!
This chapter also details this prophetic “Day of the Lord” referring to the second coming of Christ. The first 17 verses are during His return and describe the gathering and restoration of Israel, and the avenging judgment of all the nations that have persecuted them. In Joel 3:2,12, and 24, the gathering is prophesied to take place in the valley of Jehoshaphat which is located 11 miles east of Jerusalem. When something is mentioned three times in the same chapter, it must be important. Jehoshaphat in Hebrew means, “God has judged.”
All prophecy in scripture shows the coming tribulation period to be one of suffering, hardship, and trials unlike ever in human history. Our God is a loving merciful God, but He will also right the suffering of Israel, humanity, and all those who are His. We must respond to His love and mercy with a desire to live His ways in loving service to Him and all people along our path. When we rightly understand the Gospel, we are then free to live and breathe in the freedom of forgiveness from eternal judgment described here because of Jesus. God will reign in the New Jerusalem and we, as believers, will be with Him forever.
Let’s bring many people with us by being the hands and feet of Jesus proclaiming His love and mercy and grace everywhere we go. Our promise in Joel 3:16, for us as His children, is joyous and clear: “And the Lord roars from Zion and utters His voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth tremble. But the Lord is a refuge for His people and a stronghold to the sons of Israel.” May He be your refuge and stronghold today and forever.
Questions
- Describe a time when God intervened in your life and how it has made a difference for you. Tell your Life Group or a friend about this significant part of your story.
- Why do you think God intervenes in history in the ways you have read?
- Discuss your thoughts with your Life Group about the “Day of the Lord” mentioned above and what it will look like?
A Quote
Matthew Henry, a well-known Bible commentary writer says, “Most of the prophets foretell the same final victory of the church of God over all that oppose it. To the wicked it will be a terrible day, but to the righteous it will be a joyful day. What cause have those who possess an interest in Christ, to glory in their Strength and Redeemer!”
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2 thoughts on “Joel 3”
One thing is for sure, we don’t think about “the day of the Lord” nearly enough, if at all. We are caught up in the necessity of the urgent, giving little to no thought of eternity. The day of reckoning, the final day, can make us feel uneasy and even fearful, so we push it out of our minds until we read and are confronted with scripture like what we find in Joel. The revealed word of God shows us exactly what we should do:
•Believe God’s word.
•Know that God is sovereign over world events.
•Be secure in God’s love and trust his guidance.
•Know that all evil will one day be completely destroyed.
•Know that we all will face judgement.
•Take the gospel of hope to everyone.
•Believe that those who call on God’s name can be saved.
Let’s look up ⬆️ today and realize we are closer to our final day than ever.
Recently, the Lord impressed upon me what I refer to as the 4 P’s of how to prosper in my daily walk with Christ:
PRESENCE (daily process the Word & pray)
POWER (acknowledge the Holy Spirit as my counselor)
PERSPECTIVE (realize I have the mind of Christ)
PEACE (rest in his sovereignty)
I love your 4 P’s Ella!!
Judgement Day we definitely do not think or discuss it enough. It is a scary thought but so is the fact that the evil one is crouching at the door just waiting to get in, Gen 4:7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” We must let the indwelling of the Holy Spirit transform us because our ordinary abilities are weak, through Christ strength we are strong. This makes me think about Jesus’s sacrifice for us how pure and amazing He is. What I owe Him is a true authentic relationship, not just head knowledge but a complete heart, mind, body and soul relationship.
Is the Lord Jesus Christ being abundantly satisfied by your life, or are you exhibiting a walk of spiritual pride before Him? In the Awe of God book in chapter 19, John talks about sanctification (holiness) is when what was done on the inside of us is worked out and our new nature becomes an outward reality in the way we live. We have to CHOOSE to do the right thing.
God thank You for directing my path. Thank You for helping me to rule over the sin that is crouching. Thank You that I have Holy Spirit as my guide , wisdom, and knowledge to do right things and to help me make correct decisions. I desire earthly common sense but more so do I desire Your supernatural sense for minute by minute walk with You that glorifies and honors You today. Thank You for me being slow to speak and quick to listen today. Thank You for ears to hear from You and to have a deeper, more continued, authentic relationship in Jesus name amen.